LAGOS STATE GOVERNOR, BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU HAS CALLED FOR A RENEWED COMMITMENT BY CITIZENS TO END THE SCOURGE OF TUBERCULOSIS IN NIGERIA.

SANWO-OLU WHO MADE A COMMITMENT TO BUILD A WORLD CLASS INFECTIOUS RESEARCH INSTITUTE IN LAGOS AS THE AFRICA TB CHAMPION TO TACKLE TUBERCULOSIS AND OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES, SAID IT WAS WORRISOME THAT APART FROM NIGERIA BEING RANKED FIRST IN AFRICA AND 6TH IN THE WORLD FOR T.B PREVALENCE, MORE CHILDREN ARE COMING UP WITH DRUG RESISTANCE CASES.

TUBERCULOSIS IS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE CAUSED BY GERMS. THE BACTERIA IS SPREAD THROUGH THE AIR AND TRANSMITTED FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER and it AFFECTS THE LUNGS AND OTHER ORGANS OF THE BODY

ACCORDING TO FIGURES FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, WHO, AN ESTIMATED 18 PEOPLE PER HOUR DIE OF TUBERCULOSIS RELATED DISEASES IN NIGERIA, WHICH IMPLIES 432 PERSON EVERY DAY AND 156,000 EVERY YEAR.

WHILE NIGERIA IS RANKED AS 6TH CONTRIBUTOR TO THE GLOBAL BURDEN OF THE DISEASE AND FIRST IN AFRICA, KANO AND LAGOS STATES ACCOUNT FOR A LARGER PERCENTAGE.

THE QUEST TO FIND A LASTING SOLUTION TO THIS TB CHALLENGE INFORMED THIS GATHERING OF STAKEHOLDERS TO DELIBERATE ON STRATEGIES AND INCREASE DOMESTIC FUNDING TO END THE DISEASE

OUT OF THE $373 MILLION NEEDED FOR T.B CONTROL IN NIGERIA IN 2020, ONLY 31% WAS AVAILABLE TO IMPLEMENTERS WITH 7% FROM DOMESTIC AND 24% DONOR FUNDS, LEAVING 69% FUNDING GAP.

Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa says the State is yet to access the 150 billion naira bridging finance due to the fact that the Federal government is yet to commence remittances to the state.

Governor Okowa who made the disclosure while Fielding questions from journalists after inspecting what could be one of his star projects after completion, says some states have received theirs while Delta is yet to receive theirs

The Koka flyover Bridge and interchange Asaba, one of the ongoing projects embarked upon by Governor Okowa was listed to benefit from the 150 billion naira bridging finance a demand that received the nod of the state assembly.

Okowa laments that contrary to his intention of using the bridging finance to conquer the depreciation of the naira and extension of project delivery with its attendant effects of cost review, the Federal government is not forthcoming in fulfilling its part of the bargain.

Seeing the level of work on ground when compared to what he saw last time he visited, Gov Okowa said surely the project will be completed and put to use before the end of the last quarter of the year.

Governor Okowa who pleaded with the road users especially motorists who bear the brunt of the near-traffic gridlock compounded by the construction of the flyover and Asaba interchange said the whole idea is to give them a lifelong relief from mental and emotional trauma including time wasting.

The Senate Minority Leader and PDP Governorship aspirant in Abia State, Enyinnaya Abaribe has withdrawn from the primary exercise

Also, the Deputy Governor of Abia State and Governorship aspirant under the People’s Democratic Party, Ude Oko Chukwu has withdrawn from today’s scheduled Governorship primary election in the State.

In a release by the Deputy Governor,Oko Chukwu,the Aspirant accused the Party for generating a three man ad-hoc delegates list without an election, contrary to the party’s constitution and guidelines.

The former Deputy Governor stated that he cannot be part of the violation of the constitution describing the primary election as a sham.

On his part Senator, Abaribe said the use of only an imaginary 3-man Adhoc delegates to the exclusion of the party’s statutory delegates in the primary elections to elect candidates even when INEC the nation’s electoral umpire, has unequivocally stated that no congress held in Abia State for that purpose, has no doubt put the party and her candidates in a quagmire.

For now all is set for the PDP Governorship primary election holding at the Umuahia township Stadium.